WHO COULD DIRECT THE BATMAN?

With Ben Affleck taking a step back from The Batman, who is going to sit in the directors chair and form a dynamic duo with him? Here’s our thoughts.

Gavin O’Connor (Warrior, The Accountant) |

If we had to bet on who might actually get the gig, Gavin O’Connor isn’t a bad way to go. He’s directed Affleck recently in The Accountant, he knows how to handle fight scenes and drama well based off of Warrior. O’Connor is also a journeyman director that’s been brought on to help certain films when needed. Does he have the skills to elevate a DCEUBatman to where producer, star, and directing partner Ben Affleck wants?

Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) |

We scoffed at this at first, but then thought of how Villeneuve jumped fearlessly into franchise filmmaking with his upcoming Blade Runner 2049. The tone that he sets in all of his films is so spot on and precise (Arrival especially). I’d love to see his version of Gotham. I’d honestly want his entire vision onscreen rather than something that has to fit inside this haphazard shared universe, but my mind could change real quick if he got legendary cinematographer and frequent collaborator Roger Deakins to join as well.

Chad Stahelski (John Wick, John Wick 2) |

You know how we love our John Wick around here, but wouldn’t that level of action skills from a veteran stunt coordinator on a Batman film be perfect? He’s been in talks to reboot the Highlander movies, but we’d rather see his take on the Dark Knight or do John Wick 3 obviously.

No, for reals! Think about it; Smith has a love for the character, a longstanding relationship with Affleck, and has recently made some really decent episodes of Supergirl and The Flash on The CW. His recent film slate has been… well, it’s been… different. Could this be his opportunity to take on something bigger than him? Something where maybe he’ll not wear a hockey jersey to set? We want to believe Kevin Smith still has the goods in him and having Affleck at his side guiding him as a peer and friend may just be the ticket.

George Miller (Babe: Pig in the City, Mad Max: Fury Road) |

In the late 90’s we almost had a George Miller directed Justice League movie. You know “the bait” in the tower in Fury Road? That was Megan Gale, whom Miller cast as his Wonder Woman. Look, we know that Miller coming on board would be tremendous. One of those deals where you can sit back and not worry about everything falling apart like we often have worries about the last few weeks here in the land of the free.

Alex Proyas (Dark City, Gods of Egypt) |

Dark City is a masterpiece if you weren’t aware. Proyas has done dark before (see previous sentence and The Crow), but recently his Gods of Egypt confused many with its awesome and cartoonish visuals. He’s also taken a seven year duration in between that film and Knowing, which I totally forgot about but rather liked once remembering.

Gore Verbinski (The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean, A Cure for Wellness) |

Verbinski is one of the more interesting directors on the list in terms of his body of work. From duds like his last outing in The Lone Ranger, to kid fair like Mouse Hunt, to horror like The Ring, and drama like the underrated The Weatherman; he’s diverse is what we’re getting at. He also knows how to handle huge blockbusters, but hasn’t done anything like a Batman. His visual flair and penchant for huge set pieces with the ability to juggle story (most of the time) would make for an interesting film for the Caped Crusader.

Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, Star Trek Beyond) |

Lin has been connected to Space Jam 2 and Hot Wheels.For the life of me, I can’t see someone choosing to direct Space Jam 2 over a Batman movie. And Lin has already made four Hot Wheels movies with his run of the franchise defining Fast & Furious films. Warner Bros may be looking in his direction just as they did fellow Furious alum, James Wan, who is currently in production on Aquaman.

Joe Carnahan (The Grey, Smokin’ Aces, Bad Boys for Life) |

Yeah, he’s not going to, but we wanted to include this Twitter exchange on the right for fun. We would LOVE to see a Joe Carnahan directed Batman film, but he’s deep into pre-production on the third Bad Boys movie, Bad Boys for Life. We’re also excited for that as Carnahan has a great eye for interesting action.

Who do you think has a chance at taking on the Dark Knight with help from the Batman himself? Did we leave off anyone that you think has a shot? Let us know!